How can we transform the 'prejudice map'?

Recently, a 'prejudice map' drawn on the basis of big data, which reflects netizens' impressions of various provinces and regions went viral. According to the map, people in northern China think that making money is easier in the south, while people in southern China think that the residents in the north are violent. It is not difficult to see the sign of geographical bias behind these 'labels'.

With the rapid development of society and the mobility of population, how outsiders and locals view each other has become an important issue. If people judge others with the 'colored glasses', they will inevitably form stereotypes. By making a generalization based on personal experience, those who give 'bad comments' to a province will likely cause widespread prejudice.

Every place has its unique temperament, including the urban and rural landscape, the history and culture. These also reflect the charm of a diverse and colorful world. Instead of summing up the 'regional bias', every person should upgrade the concept of civilization, broaden the horizon, and show more tolerance and understanding. If people can draw a 'favorability map' instead of the 'prejudice map', it will better promote the integration and mutual understanding.

The article is edited and translated from《南方好赚钱，北方暴力？靠什么才能改造“偏见地图”》. Source: People's Daily. The author is Li Yage